Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit alpha, somatic form, mitochondrial is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PDHA1 gene.The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial matrix multienzyme complex that provides the primary link between glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle by catalyzing the irreversible conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA. The PDH complex is composed of multiple copies of 3 enzymes: E1 (PDHA1); dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (DLAT) (E2; EC 2.3.1.12); and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (DLD) (E3; EC 1.8.1.4). The E1 enzyme is a heterotetramer of 2 alpha and 2 beta subunits. The E1-alpha subunit contains the E1 active site and plays a key role in the function of the PDH complex.